National Guard shooting suspect has ties to Bellingham

Two National Guard members were shot Wednesday in Washington, D.C. The motives of the 29-year-old suspected shooter, who had been living in Bellingham, remain unclear.

Here’s what we know:

The victims

The two National Guard members, shot Wednesday afternoon a few blocks from the White House, were identified as Andrew Wolfe, 24, and Sarah Beckstrom, 20, both members of the West Virginia National Guard.

Beckstrom died Thursday of her injuries, West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced.

“She answered the call to serve, stepped forward willingly, and carried out her mission with the strength and character that define the very best of the West Virginia National Guard,” Morrisey posted on X. “Today, we honor her bravery and her sacrifice as we mourn the loss of a young woman who gave everything she had in defense of others.”

Wolfe was in critical condition.

The suspect

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan man, was also badly wounded and taken into custody on Wednesday.

Lakanwal was living in Bellingham with his wife and five children. Authorities said he appeared to have acted alone. Lakanwal drove across the country from Bellingham with a plan to commit the attack, U.S. officials said Thursday.

FBI Director Kash Patel said his office was executing search warrants around the country, including at Lakanwal’s Bellingham address.

The CIA said Lakanwal had worked with an agency-backed military unit during the U.S. war in Afghanistan. He entered the U.S. through Operation Allies Welcome, a Biden-era immigration program for Afghans fleeing the Taliban takeover. He was formally granted asylum in April, CNN reported.

The shooting

The suspect used a .357 revolver, shooting a Guard member and then firing again after the soldier fell to the ground, according to Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C. She said at a news conference that the shooter then turned to fire at the second guard member.

Pirro said that the suspect would be charged with three counts of assault with intent to kill but that if either of the Guard members did not survive, he would be charged with first-degree murder.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said Thursday that the suspect could face up to life in prison.

The ripple effects

The shooting has had ramifications for those seeking to immigrate to the U.S. President Donald Trump called the shooting an “act of terror.” He vowed to redouble his mass deportation efforts and review all asylum cases that were approved under the Biden administration.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced it indefinitely halted the processing of all immigration requests involving Afghan nationals.

Local Afghan community members and leaders in Washington state condemned the actions of the shooter but said their community should not be punished for the actions of one man.

The president also ordered an additional 500 National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., following the shooting.

In Bellingham, Mayor Kim Lund said she is directing local resources to be ready to support the FBI’s investigation.

“We share the resolve to see justice and accountability for this violent attack,” she said in a statement.

“The terrible actions committed in Washington, D.C. yesterday are the actions of one person, not a community. They don’t represent Bellingham’s values. They don’t reflect the values of either Washington. They don’t represent what makes our communities great.”